What Could Have Been: Kill Screen
by mon-petit-pois
Summary: Because no one goes through what Ziva did and magically comes out "fine." What really happened, when they were trapped for three hours in that warehouse?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is just one part of what will eventually become a series of one-shots, all circled around what could have been if the writers had a brain. Ziva came back from Somalia, and then the next day she was just perfectly peachy. Now, there is no way that someone bounces back from 3 months of torture like that. So _this_ is what may have happened "behind the scenes" with Ziva and the PTSD she had to have from Somalia. She doesn't show it on the outside, but these are oneshots of things that _could_ have happened, there is nothing saying they didn't. Enjoy!

Set in the end of Kill Screen. If you remember, Ziva and Tony were cut off from Gibbs, and trapped in a small room. In the end, she says she was trapped with him for three hours in there before the "firemen were able to open the fire_doors_" What could have happened, I wonder...? Thanks to AliviaAlise for the idea!

They heard the explosion. The heard the gunshots. They heard everything happen, through their earwigs, which shortly after went out of range. They just couldn't do anything about it. They couldn't do anything about the fact they were trapped in a small, dark space, with no way out.

"Ugh!" Ziva growled in frustration, kicking the walls with her foot. Damn booby traps.

"Calm down, Zee-VAH! I'm sure they'll get us out of here soon," he tried to reason with her. She was really scaring him. Ziva sighed, realizing it was hopeless, and sunk down against the wall. When she didn't reply, Tony became worried. "Hey, you okay?" he asked. She put her head in her hands, and didn't answer. She couldn't. It was dark, too dark. Too small. Not enough room. Not enough light. Not enough air.

She began to breathe heavily, hoping Tony would just forget about her. Of course, he didn't. He walked up to her, and sat next to her.

"I said, are you okay?" Tony repeated. She just continued to focus on breathing. "Come on, look at me. It's alright," he promised her. She gasped when he took her hands off her face, and held them in his. She flinched when he caressed her cheek.

"_Do not touch me!_" she bursted, springing up and stumbling to the other side of the small space, but collapsed once she hit the other side. She could no longer hold herself up. It was too dark, too much like _that place._

"Zee..." he began, concerned. This was freaking him out.

"No... leave me alone," she moaned. Tony got up, and cautiously approached her.

"Ziva-"

"I said _leave me alone!_" she screeched. Tony ignored her wishes and crouched down next to her.

"What is going _on?_" he asked. He needed to know what was the matter with her.

"Saleem, _I do not know anything!_" she yelled, and Tony froze. That bastard. He was dead, and yet he still haunted her. It had been almost three years! How long had she been having panic attacks, and not telling anyone?

"Ziva David, listen to me _right now._ You are in D.C., not in Somalia," he told her, in the most soothing voice he could muster.

"Tony..." she whispered, struggling to sit up. He bent down and helped her, leaning her against the wall.

"Sorry, I do not know what came over me, I-"

"Ziva, if you wanna talk about it... I'm here. Always have been, always will be."

"I do not wish to speak of it."

"You will want to eventually, and when you do, I'm here."

"Alright," she agreed.

"Good. Now, no one has to know about this, okay? I know you will feel more comfortable that way," he promised her. She nodded, and laid her head on his shoulder.

"You are a good partner, Tony," she mused. She was right.

"I know," he joked. Ziva rolled her eyes. "But seriously Ziva, am I a good partner? I mean, I didn't even know you were claustrophobic..." he pointed out.

"Because I never told you."

"Those are the kinds of things partners should tell each other. Just to give the other a little heads up in case something happens," he told her.

"I do not like admitting my weaknesses," she said. He sighed.

"Everybody has an irrational fear. Except yours is _definitely_ rational."

"And why is that, Tony?" she rolled her eyes.

"Because no one goes through what you did and just magically comes out _fine._ You will always be different, always be scarred. But you will always be Ziva."

"I did not know you had wisdom, Tony. What happened to joking, sarcastic Tony?"

"Funny, McGee asked that earlier. I guess I'm just chock full of wisdom today, huh Zee-VAH?" he laughed. She snorted.

"Definitely."

"But really. My door is always open for you," he promised her. She nodded.

"I will consider it," she told him. He smiled broadly.

"That's all I'm asking."

A/N: Review review review! wait i'm missing something in there... oh yeah! _Please _review, haha. There will be more to come, I can't promise quick updates they maybe be sporadically spread out. I'll update as I think of them. But soon to come: scenes from Power Down, Patriot Down, and Jetlag! Ahhh Paris...:)


	2. Chapter 2

A lot of people put this on alert. I am continuing the "What Could Have Been," one-shots, but each is it's own separate story. I just wanted to let everybody know. I just posted another one, called "What Could Have Been: Patriot Down." Thank you to everybody who read and reviewed this. You guys are amazing.


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